1. Defining the Field

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The Evolution of Instructional Design

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Progress!

Early 20th Century: Visual Instruction Movement

The field of instructional technology focused on the physical means through which instruction was delivered to learners - instructional media

Visual instruction - "the use of all types of visual aids such as...flat pictures, models, exhibits, charts, maps, graphs, stereographs, steropticion slides, and motion pictures (Dorris, 1928 p.6)

1920s - 1940s: Audiovisual Instruction

Technology advances led to a shift from just visual media to audio visual media - sound recordings, radio broadcasting, motion picture with sound and eventually the television.

1960s - 1970s: Instructional Technology as a Process

"The field of instructional technology should was seen as the "application of science to instructional practices" (Lumsdaine 1964) or as a way of "looking at instructional problems and examining feasible solutions to those problems" (Finn 1960).

1990s: Beyond Viewing Instructional Technology as a Process

Advances in technology and shifting learning theories began to have a major influence on design practices. Cognitive and constructivist learning theories began to take the place of behavioral learning theory in influencing instructional technology.

5 Domains of Instructional Technology:

A New Definition

"The field of instructional design and technology encompasses the analysis of learning and performance problems, and the design, development, implementation, evaluation and management of instructional and non-instructional processes and resources intended to improve learning and performance in a variety of settings, particularly educational institutions and the workplace.

Professionals in the field of instructional design and technology often use systematic instructional design procedures and employ a variety of instructional media to accomplish their goals. Moreover, in recent years, they have paid increasing attention to non-instructional solutions to some performance problems. Research and theory related to each of the aforementioned areas is also an important part of the field" (Reiser 2002).

Other Resources

Instructional Design definition #1

Instructional Design definition #2

History of Instructional Design
A Hypertext History of Instructional Design: 1920 - The Future